AUSTRALIANS AT WAR

THE NEW AMERICAN CENTURY is a compelling factual history of neoconservatism and its influence on US Foreign Policy in the Middle East during the first decade of the twenty-first century. Click on image above for details.

In the same article, the ‘Jerusalem Post’ quoted Bolton as saying: “Given that diplomacy has failed, given that sanctions have failed, the only alternative to an Iran with nuclear weapons is a limited military strike against the nuclear weapons program”.

In the past, Bolton has been unequivocal about the US or Israel mounting a military strike against Iran and there is no reason to believe that, if he ever did become President, he would not hesitate to attack Iran.

A military strike against Iran would not be just against its ‘nuclear weapons program’ – apart from anything else, the US and Israel know full well that Iran has no ‘nuclear weapons program’ – though the initial strike would be against Iran’s nuclear facilities since that will be the casus belli used by the Israelis and Americans for such an attack, but it would also include strikes against Iran’s defence facilities and government institutions. Such strikes, so the West would be told, would be to prevent any Iranian retaliatory strikes. However, the real purpose of any attack against Iran would be to affect regime change, which Bolton has said in the past would be the ideal aim of US foreign policy in the Middle East.

As the recent mid-term elections revealed, Americans are despondent, to say the least, with President Obama’s performance and lack of delivery of election promises particularly with regard to bringing an end to the wars. Unfortunately, with effectively only two political parties, Americans have little choice but to register their dissatisfaction by either simply not voting or giving their vote to the other side in protest (as against support for the other sides policies) in the hope that not too many votes go the other way but enough to make the incumbent sit up and think about realigning their policies. The mid-term elections achieved that but whether or not Obama will take note of the American vote remains still to be seen. So far it’s not looking good.

They say a week in politics is a long time, so two years while waiting for an opportunity to vote again must seem a lifetime for many. Certainly a lot can happen in those two years that could inexorably change yet again the perception we have about the future of our world. A wrong call over Korea, for example, could seemingly pale into insignificance any qualms either side have over the situation in the Middle East and Central Asia. But having said that, it should be realised that anything that happens in this world will inevitably have America stamped on it somewhere and that the geo-political realities of what is happening in the Middle East are inextricably linked to what is happening over Korea and with China as the world watches the power-play taking place between super-powers anxious to secure hegemony in resource rich regions of our planet.

For Bolton that power-play revolves around the Middle East rather than South East Asia. He sees a strong Israel as essential to American interests in the region as a more urgent problem to be dealt with than South East Asia. He believes the Middle East should be secured first and that Israel is the tool by which the Middle East can be tamed especially once the Mullahs of Iran have gone and their so-called ‘proxies’, Hezbollah, Hamas and Syria, weakened or destroyed. Once gone, and Israel has created its Greater Israel dream, then the US can deal with China. Bolton believes that a strong display of no-nonsense force against Iran will bring North Korea to heel – that and more sanctions.

John Bolton is the most hawkish of the neoconservative warmongers itching to bomb Iran. The very idea of this man becoming the President of the United States should send a shiver down the backs of the peoples of the world. Come 2012 the people of America will have a stark choice; either more of the same under Obama which, incidentally, does not preclude the possibility that he too might attack Iran especially if Israel decides on a pre-emptive attack, or a Republican President who almost certainly would attack Iran – and who knows who else afterwards - if Bolton wins the nomination race and becomes President.

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About Me

is an Aeronautical Engineer, Historian and general carer of what goes on in the world.
Apart from an earlier career in engineering, Lataan also has a First Class Honours BA degree in History and a PhD in International Politics.
All material on this site is available for use without permission but it would be appreciated if the source is acknowledged.